A study in the 15th Century
by Oliver Kirkland
Summary: Once upon a time in a land far away- boring. This is the story of the odd Kingdom of Lumio's strange Princess' romance, so doesn't it deserve an even stranger beginning to it's story? Princess Sherlock Holmes has always claimed to be a man... while in a dress. War hero John Watson is bored, and feels like he's dying. What could possibly connect these two? No gender-bends, Johnlock.


_Translated from Olden English into Simple English._

Sherlock's POV-

A bland wall is the difference between boredom and interest, and I happen to be stuck on the wrong side of the blasted thing.

Studying manners is boring. The respect the servants are forced to give is tedious. There is absolutely nothing -worth my while- to do within these palace walls, and being mistaken for a woman for 24 years of my life _does not help_.

My name is Sherlock Holmes, but my formal name is _'Princess Sherlock Holmes of the Kingdom of Lumio'_.

~1~2~3~4~5~6~7~8~9~10~11~

_'I need to leave this castle,' _I think while absentmindedly glaring at the ceiling. '_There is something outside of this place desperately calling out to me. What is it though, and what is this feeling of loss deep within me? Why do I feel so sad, so empty inside? It's like there is something out there, something that needs me and I need it the same way. It's dying though. Why is it dying?' _So many questions. Annoying, tedious, and redundant questions bouncing around in my mind that will more than likely never be answered because I am trapped in this castle like a prisoner from war.

_Knock. Knock._

From my previous position laying down on my back on top of the bed pointlessly glaring at the ceiling, I turn my head to glare at the wooden door with the smiley face I've carved into it that has disturbed my thoughts. "What is it?!" I spit in the door's direction with more venom than necessary.

The door tentatively opens to reveal my personal servant Sally, but her title might as well be changed to _'Princess Sherlock's personal babysitter'_ with everything she has to do because of me. "Madam Sherlock, your brother wishes to speak to you." She spoke loud enough for me to barely hear her as she walks into the large, disastrous room.

_'She should be calling me Sir Sherlock, not Madam Sherlock,'_ I think before springing off the bed feet first, and proceeding towards the large window in the room and my violin_ 'but they never believe me when I tell them that I am in fact male, not female.'_ I quickly pick the violin out of the abused case it lives in, and begin to roughly drag the much used bow across it's companion's strings.; in response the string instrument squeals and whines deafeningly in an obvious protest._ 'It's as if they weren't at my birth. If they are my birth parents, then why do they not know my true gender? Those arrogant morons. '_

"Madam Sherlock!" Sally snaps in a clamant tone over the violin's violent protests, already accustom to my little toddler like tantrums. "Madam Sherlock, Sir Mycroft demands your immediate presence! It's urgent!" She snaps again in the same clamant tone, while attempting to advance forward, but tripping over the numerous random items obstructing the floor of my room.

At her words, I stop playing, and snap around to stare at her with narrowed, emotionless eyes. "Why should I care about what _Mycroft's_ wants? What has he ever done for me?" I pause and change my tone of voice to a less sharper one. "Besides sticking his abnormally large nose into my business, and giving me no privacy, of course."

The servant sighs, looking me in the eye. "Madam Sherlock, your brother said that he needed you immediately. I don't know what for, I just know that I have to take you to him."

I sigh exasperatingly while rolling my eyes upwards, and turn my back to her and resume to horribly play the violin. "If my brother wishes to speak to me, then he will come here and speak to me. I will not be his obedient dog." I tell her in a bored tone over the ear-piercing screeches of the poor, abused instrument.

_Humph_. "Alright then." she says stiffly, and begins to walk to the engraved door. Before she leaves she Ridgeley bows in my direction and mutters "Good day, Madam Sherlock." then exits the room.

_Slam_. Right as the heavy door shuts closed, I stop playing and replace the violin back in its case to hibernate for a short while. "What could Mycroft possibly want this time?" I ask Skully, a human skull that was a gift from my Mother and Father on my fifth birthday, and also frankly my only 'friend' in the entire palace -besides Molly, the castle healer-, while plucking him off of his shelf. "I know. I know. I'm aware that he's wants to talk to me about my unladylike behavior, but I'm not a woman. It's not my fault that the fool doesn't know the difference between the two gen-"

_Knock. Knock. Knock._ "Madam Sherlock" Sally's annoying voice comes from the other side of the door, cutting me off mid-thought. _'Well that was quick. Mother must have told Mycroft to do this; of course Mother told him to do this.'_ "Your brother is here to speak with you." I sigh heavily as she states the obvious, why else would she be here if not with Mycroft? No one likes to spend more time than necessary with me.

"I don't care... send him in." I put Skully back on his shelf, and turn towards the door with my hands behind my back and a deep frown on my face. "Mycroft." I say to my brother as he walks into my room with his odd trademark smile on his face while he surveys the room. "I see that you've been spending an abnormal amount of time in the kitchen again." The obvious biscuit crumbs on the upper part of his leggings were a clear message to that.

He turns to me, the smile still on his stuck up face "Good Morning to you too, sister, how are you this fine day?"

"Sir." Sally cuts in with a curt nod in Mycroft's direction that goes unacknowledged. "Madam." Another nod, but this time in my direction that as well goes unacknowledged. With that as her goodbye, she opens the heavy door and leaves the room filled to the brim with tension to do her other duties.

"Well I wouldn't know if it were a good day or not, because I'm never allowed to leave the Palace. And how many times do I have to tell you that I am not a woman." I retort back, not moving from my original position.

"Ah, yes I forgot." He chuckles, moving slightly forward as if leaning on an imaginary object. "You believe that you are not a woman. Yes well, Mummy and I just may believe you when you are not in a formal gown, and your hair is not fashioned to look like a woman's."

I growl as I remember the formal gown I'm forced to wear on a daily basis; a dark blue velvet one with a silk golden and black trim that perfectly fits my slim figure. My hair that used to be short and curly, but was tamed to be shoulder length and is much less curly than it used to be. "Why are you here, Mycroft?"

"Mummy wanted me to talk to you about your behavior-"

"Why can't _she_ talk to me about it?"

"Well, let's just say that a very important representative from another kingdom has come to negotiate important matters. But it's nothing to worry your mind about. Anyways, Mother wishes to know why you always insinuate you are male, not female."

"Because _I am_ male, not female. It is not my fault you cannot tell the difference between the two genders."

My_ 'brother' _scoffs. "Sherlock, Sherlock, Sherlock, I _can _tell the difference. It's you who can't tell the difference-"

"Then, why am I always forced to wear a gown?" I ask him through gritted teeth.

"You know why."

"The reasons to why Mother wants me to wear the dresses is invalid."

"Whether you believe so or not, you will wear the dresses because it is proper for a lady to wear dresses."

"Mycroft-"

"I'm not here to argue with you over matters that will not be resolved. I'm here to deliver a message from Mummy... She demands that you cease to insinuate that you are male... because of certain past events, things have come up, and you may be promised to the heir of the throne to The Holy Roman Empire-"

"May be?"

"Let me finish. There was a war that took place. Our kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire-"

"Yes, I am aware of it. The one Father died in, but no one told me about, because you assume I am a lady."

"And how, dear sister, did you figure that there was a war going on?"

"It was quite simple actually. Several years ago, I noticed the drastic decrease in knights that pointlessly guarded the Palace walls, so I figured there must be some sort of conflict going on somewhere. Not a revolution because in that case the royal family would have evacuated, and Father was never present at dinner anymore, so a war with another Kingdom. Of course he could have just been visiting other Kingdoms for business, but at the time I didn't have enough data to back up my claim. Then after Father's death, there was no panic to over protect us, so he wasn't murdered the night before in bed. He was killed in battle. _Am I wrong_?"

"No, you're correct, but one thing: Father was murdered in his sleep, and out of spite, but not here in the castle. He was on his way back from the battlefield. So that you know of the war, this makes this easier. Mother and the King of the Holy Roman Empire are currently negotiating the terms for a neutral surrender. It may include your hand in marriage to the eldest prince-"

"So she wants me to stop telling everyone I am a man."

"Exactly."

"I would, since there's importance in this situation, but I am not a woman. Now it is imperative more than ever that you believe me."

"Mummy knew that you would do this. She told me to tell you that if you do not stop now, she'll make sure you stop."

"What's she planning to do? Take me a witch or wizard, and re-write my memory to make me think I'm a woman? Predictable."

"Perhaps, but it'll work." he nods with the smile that never left his face. "Good day, Sherlock." he strides out of the room with his ego even more enlarged than it usually is.

I pick Skully off of his shelf again once the aggravation that is my older brother had left, "This cannot happen. What should I do...? Well there is always that... but let's save that for a last resort plan." I replace the human skull and plop down on the bed, sitting down on it while crossing my legs, and placing my hands together under my chin; beginning to formulate a plan for the _slight _predicament Mycroft and Mother currently wedged me in.

* * *

**A/N**

May or may not be continued, depending on the feedback. Please no PM; comments are welcome with warm, open arms.


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